Sentimental Sundays #182: Winter Wonderland

Welcome to another week closer to Christmas! I'm starting to feel the time crunch...but only because I  always want to be done a week or two before and I'm usually that crazy lady the night before picking up a few things! lol

Well, you don't want to miss the newest challenge on the Sentimental Sundays Challenge Blog! (We're having a DT CALL, too!)

This week's Sponsor is:

Meljen's Designs Challenge Blog

Meljen's Designs Store
Donating: 4 images, winners choice

This week's challenge is:

Winter Wonderland

(plus a sentiment)

Meljen's is having a 50% off Holiday Sale! If you love cute & whimsical, you don't want to miss out! Melissa shared a few images with our DT and I chose Bitty Christmas Tree Bears. Along with the sketch from RETRO SKETCHES my Winter Wonderland looks a bit like this:

LOVE embossing enamel! It adds such great texture...and I LOVE texture. This is another product from Stampendous: Frantage - Shabby White. It's chunky white with bits of gold and gold glitter. Depending on how long you heat the enamel, you can have smooth and shiny or touchable glam! Perfect for my tree!

Although, true CAS is not my style. I often attempt CAS hoping to be able to grow my crafting skills.   I think I did a pretty good job of staying close to the original sketch this time. Only a few layers.

And what is a Winter Wonderland without glitter?! I added touches of glitter to the snow and to the tops of the flags. My daughter has already claimed this card for her teacher! 

Have you seen my postcards from the Autumn iHanna DIY Postcard Swap? Tomorrow I'll show you how I made the bases.

Inky Hugs,

Angi

Entering these challenges:

Retro Sketches #91

Oozak #26 - Holidays & Anything Goes

Designed to Color #23 - Christmas/Winter

Great Impressions Stamps September Challenge - Sentiments

Happy Sunday!

It's time for another challenge on the Great Impressions Stamps Blog! September's Challenge is SENTIMENTS - with or without an image...your choice!

You know how much I love using butterflies...I figured I had time for one more butterfly project before the fall and winter ideas take over. For this project I used the Elegant Butterfly and Said the Butterfly stamps on a 4x4 coaster. IRL there is some awesome shimmer on this piece!

Have you ever used the Batik technique? Say that 5 times fast! lol It makes wonderful backgrounds and allows you to layer images using a negative-type effect.

- Stamp using Versamark Watermark, cover with clear embossing powder and then heat.

- Ink, spray, paint the background.

- Using a baby wipe or damp paper towel, clean off the embossed area(s).

- Place a piece of cardstock or even printer paper over the embossed image.

- Using a hot craft iron, press the iron over the embossed area(s) for a few seconds. Lift off the cardstock and check your image. Is it still shiny?

     - If it is, repeat the ironing, using a clean area on the card stock until the clear embossing is gone.

     - If it is not, start on the next layer!

I stamped my sentiment with Versamark Watermark and used black embossing powder. Do you see the shadow words? I dropped the stamp the first time and, of course, not all the words were clear. I used an embossing bag over the first stamp in the hopes that it would act as an eraser. It didn't work so well, but I like the effect - happy accident!

Playing along:

Bearly Mine Challenges - All that Glitters

Catered Crop - In the Pink

Oozak - Sparkle

Our Creative Corner - Resist & Twist

I hope that you've enjoyed your visit, maybe even found a little inspiration, and join us in the Great Impressions September Challenge!

If you have any questions or thoughts about this project or anything else you see on Making Mayhem, feel free to leave a comment or send an email.

Inky hugs,

Angi

Supplies used:

Stickles, Tattered Angels Glimmer Mists - Sunflower, Sun Sisters, Tuscan Sun, Rum Punch, Adirondack Color Wash - Wild Plum, black and clear embossing powder, Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher, scraps of twill, rose ribbon, sheer white ribbon, linen thread, lace, white tulle, found buttons and metal, pin & beads, Perfect Pearls Mist - Pearl

Great Impressions Stamps July Challenge - Coloring in the Lines & Design Team Call

(This post didn't actually make it up on time. I was having trouble with Blogger. Glad to finally be able to get this posted! Hope you'll enter the challenge this month!)

It's time for another challenge at the Great Impressions Stamps blog! This month the theme is:

Show us your best 'stay in the lines' coloring!

You can use pencils, paints, Copics, markers...whatever coloring medium you prefer!

Remember you can get extra entries for the prize drawing by using a Great Impressions Stamp.

We want to see your best work! This month each design team member will be choosing their favorites to display, too!

For this card, I used Buford Feeling Poorly (G183) and On the Mend (E385). Isn't Buford a darling sickie? Love that the image has 'soup' in it - definitely my family's recipe for the blahs. Soup made with love makes everything better! 

I colored this image with the Distress Markers. I stamped the image twice in Memento Tuxedo Black. I used an acrylic block and colored the marker on to a section of the block. Then I wiped a wet (not dripping) brush through the color I needed and used it on the images. (I colored Buford in one image, then cut him out and popped him up on the other image where I had already colored the rest of the image.)

The tissue box is paper pieced using a scrap of patterned paper and white tissue paper.

Since the quilt was a main detail, I decided stitching was needed on the squares and I embossed part of the On the Mend stamp in black. (You've got to see the rest of that stamp!)

We are also holding a Design Team call for one new member! If you're interested, be sure to visit the Design Team Call post (all the details are here - deadline is July 14th), send Jenny an email and enter the July challenge. Can't wait to see what you color!

Inky hugs,

Angi

Great Impressions Stamps June Challenge - Punches or Dies!

Hello June!

I know...I'm a few days late, but that's pretty much par for the course for this time of year for me. Making the transition to a home that's busier than usual with the kids and the hubs home more often than not - a change I definitely like! - takes a little getting used to...

Today is the beginning of Great Impressions Stamps June Challenge. The theme this month is PUNCHES or DIES (or Silhouette, eClips, Cricut, etc...)

For some reason babies have been a subject I've heard a lot about recently; I've noticed I'm a bit low on my baby card stash, so naturally my challenge project is a baby card. Even better? May's Stamp of the Month stamps were baby themed!

If you don't have a local store that participates in the SOTM program, you can get May's SOTM stamps at the Great Impressions Online Store.

Here's a few notes about this card:

I cut white card stock using the Tim Holtz Movers & Shapers Alterations Die "family" and then stamped over it with the Great Impressions Stamp "New Little Baby" (C434). Using a blender tool and Distress Ink I colored the word "Family" to help it stand out.

I stamped the "Baby Boy Sneakers" (E756) in Versamark Watermark ink and then embossed them in white. I colored the sneakers using a blender pen and Distress Markers. The black stars were colored with a Black Glaze pen.

"Heaven Sent" (B221) is embossed in black and then layered over a die cut ticket and then layered over a die cut tag. All of the layers' edges were inked with Distress Ink.

There you have it, folks! Short & sweet. Can't wait to see what you make...remember to scroll down to the bottom of the challenge post to link up!

Inky hugs,

Angi

Great Impressions DT - Etsy Summer Inspired Card

I can't believe how fast May has gone. With the kiddos out of school we've had a few lazy mornings and I'm hoping for a few more!

Yay for sunshine and summer break!

And for Etsy...I found a darling pendant that inspired today's card. Love the two-toned background, the pop of color and the gleam of metal.

Click on the picture to visit Glittering Dreams to find your own inspiration!

Lots of blending using Distress Ink: Tea Dye, Vintage Photo, Broken China, and Peacock and a generous spritz (or two or four) of Perfect Pearls in Pearl.

Love making my own backgrounds - makes the most of the stamps I already have (and even sometimes that old paper I can't seem to get rid of...more on that later)!

You can do the same using these Great Impressions Stamps:

Rose Trio (stamped in Vintage Photo Distress Ink)

Butterfly Flourish (stamped in Peacock Distress Ink)

Butterfly Frame (stamped and cut out the butterfly)

A Flower (the sentiment)

The black satin crinkled ribbon was hard to photograph. IRL the texture is just right!

The sentiment panel edge is embossed in silver and touches of Fran-tage Mica fragments. Love the vintage shimmer...sigh.

Today's the last day to link up your project for Great Impressions Stamps May challenge - Anything Goes! Scroll to the bottom of the post to link up! Good luck!

Inky hugs,

Angi

Great Impressions DT - Beautiful You

Another fabulous week on the Great Impressions' blog, wouldn't you say? Did you miss the special post yesterday? Great Impressions sponsored the Midweek Throwdown - a Color Challenge - with Operation Write Home. Be sure to stop by OWH for the details and then link up a project for a chance to win a gift certificate...and then go and link up with our Monthly Challenge - Anything Goes! Easy, peasy, right?

This week I used a few gorgeous stamps - Scent of a Rose, Rose Trio and Beautiful Forever. I love being able to use my water-based markers with the Great Impressions' lovely sentiments; I'm able to use only the words I need to create the perfect sentiment for my project.

Want to see what I mean? Take a look at my card...

The original sentiment is wonderful just the way it is - great for an engagement or wedding card - but I wanted something a little different for this beautiful silhouette stamp.

I think I'm going to have to make a few more of these...I know more than one deserving woman! Take some time to stop by the Great Impressions Stamps blog for more inspiration...

Happy Thursday!

Inky hugs,

Angi

Entering this card into the following challenges:

Lily Pad Cards - Vera's View Challenge
Cute Card Thursday - Challenge 217 - A Touch of Sparkle
By the Cute and Girly - May - Spring is in the Air

Operation Write Home Midweek Throwdown Challenge Sponsored by Great Impressions Stamps

Today I'm proud to announce that Great Impressions Stamps is sponsoring the Midweek Throwdown  Challenge on the  Operation Write Home blog!

Being a military family, we appreciate organizations that support our men and women serving in the armed forces and Operation Write Home (OWH) does that in an important way. The mission of OWH:

"Supporting our nation's armed forces

by sending blank handmade greeting cards

to write home on, as well as "AnyHero"

cards of gratitude to encourage them."

When was the last time you received a handmade card? There's something about knowing that someone took the time to design and create a card just for you, isn't there?

Well, thousands of volunteers - around the country - through OWH, help military members keep in touch with their families and friends by creating wonderful handmade cards and sending them off to remote areas. The military member gets to choose a card and hopefully will find just the right one to send.

There is an incredible amount of detail and care involved in the OWH operation: prepping the cards, making sure they arrive in time for the holidays, making sure there is a variety in each box and the actual mailing of the boxes. Making cards is not the only way to help support service members and OWH.  Be sure to stop by the OWH website to see how you can help!

Okay...some of the Great Impressions Stamps Design Team created cards for this throw down...here's my card for the challenge...

Great Impressions Stamps has fab images to choose from like this Elegant Butterfly and you can get your own at the Great Impressions Stamps online store!

Tropical Colors (think purple, turquoise, pink, orange etc.)...now it's YOUR TURN!

Go to the OWH blog for the Throwdown details, to see more inspiration by some of the Great Impressions Design Team and link up your card...

Can't wait to see what YOU make!

Inky hugs,

Angi

Great Impressions Stamps May Challenge - Anything Goes!

Did you have a great weekend? Celebrate Cinco de Mayo? I managed to get sunburned Friday morning, so not a lot of out and about for me! Stayed in, attempted to get caught up on emails, Facebook, projects...it seems my to-do list is just growing and to think the kids are almost out of school, so more fun there!

Well, thank Goodness this month's Great Impressions Stamps Challenge is Anything Goes! You can create anything your creative heart desires...cards, boxes, tags, scrapbook pages, etc.

There are some juicy details about bonus entries and even a 25% discount offer, so even if you've read the challenge guidelines before, I highly encourage you to read them again!

I'm still in clean and purge mode - purge mode meaning I'm working at *using* my stash - so this month for my challenge project I'm using one of my 'dirty tags' again...

Pulled bits of vellum, card stock, papers and embellishments...all from my bits and pieces...

If you haven't had a chance to see all of Great Impressions' April Stamp of the Month sets...go now to the online store...they're gorgeous! You can see how I used some of the stamps in this picture...

Beyond the Board is a monthly class I teach at a LSS using the Great Impressions Stamp of the Month sets.  Classes are available as kits, if you can't make the date.  Contact me for more info!

Alrighty...enough chit chat...go work on your challenge project - can't wait to see it!

Inky hugs,
Angi

Great Impressions DT - Banner of Roses

There are definitely some Great Impressions Stamp of the Month (SOTM) stamps that I find more versatile than others...April's SOTM stamps were so great! If you missed out picking them up from your local store the SOTM stamps for April 2012 (and older) are available from the Great Impressions Online Store!

It would be hard to pick a favorite, but I can tell you that you need to get the Rose Trio and Butterfly Frame stamps!

Aren't those mini banners adorable? Tiny details, colors and glitter...stop by Great Impressions Stamps blog to see more inspiration!

Inky hugs,
Angi

Great Impressions DT - Elegant Teacups Collage

The kids are back in school and schedules are beginning to settle down. One of Great Impressions Stamp of the Month stamps really resonated with me recently: Patience (D445)

In the daily craziness that seems to be my life lately, I could really use more patience! Thank Goodness I have time for some creative stress relief! I stopped by my LSS (Simple Pleasures) not too long ago and picked up a bottle of Stampendous Fran-tage Embossing enamels in Shabby White. This is lovely stuff...

Chunky White & Gold embossing powder + Gold Tinsel = Texture - even after you melt it!

To get the seemingly random placement on the green card stock is easy...now that I've played around with it! I love playing with products and techniques and the embossing enamel was fun!

Simply drip or dot Versamark Watermark reinker on a non porous surface (preferable without raised edges) such as a craft mat or piece of acetate and smoosh (yes, that is the technical term...) the card stock on top. Sprinkle on the powder and heat from underneath to melt. Heating from underneath allows the bottom layer to melt and kind of set the rest of the enamel and the glitter. If you want more texture, as soon as the enamel starts to melt, turn off the heat; if you want the surface to be smooth, heat until it's all melted.

The pieces vary in size and when you heat it from the bottom you have some control over the feel of the final product. Before heating, the embossing enamel has a grainy feel, kind of 'salt & pepper' texture.

After heating, there is textured and smooth areas. Notice how the gold pieces resemble flecks, having 'edges'? You can even see the uneven areas in the picture. (sorry for the glare)

Do you see the Lace Background (K97) behind the cups?

To add even more shimmer and shine to this card, I used gold embossing powder and clear glitter on the teacups, pearl mist on the tag and gold splatter on the card base.

Hmmm...next time I think I will use a kraft card base for a little more contrast...

April's Great Impressions' Monthly Challenge is open and the theme is "Lots of Flowers." Consider making something for this challenge! Check out that post for the details and to enter your project. Remember - a Great Impressions stamp is *not* required, but if you do use one you'll get 2 entries!

Inky hugs,

Angi

Stamps: Great Impressions Elegant Teacups (F389), **Patience (D445), Lace Background (K97)

Inks: Tim Holtz Distress Inks Broken China, Worn Lipstick, Shabby Shutters; Ranger Archival Ink Jet Black; Versamark Watermark; Copics

Paper: Manilla Tag, Stampin' Up! card stocks, Bo Bunny Double Dots Coral

Other: Martha Stewart Doily Lace punch; Sizzix On The Edge Plaque & Postage; Spellbinders Labels Two; clear glitter; Stampendous Fran-Tage Aged Embossing Enamel Powders Shabby White; gold paint; gold embossing powder; linen twine; Perfect Pearls Mist Pearl; Sizzix Tim Holtz Alterations Tiny Tabs & Tags

**Stamp of the Month Stamps

Great Impressions Challenge March - Something Handmade

Happy Sunday! So glad you could stop by...

front of sachet

Today's feature is my project for Great Impressions' Challenge #1 - Something Handmade! This challenge is open to everyone! If you're here to see how I made my project read on...

If this is the first you've heard of the challenge, visit ** this Great Impression post ** to see all of the Design Team projects and then click on back and let me know what you think!

This has been a whirlwind week! I've changed jobs and have found myself around the house more...and I'm lovin' it! Of course, being around the house more means I find more things to do around here...like cleaning out closets and drawers. And that leads to...

Coming up with some creative projects to help make this house more of a home! My to-do list is miles long...so we're starting small.

Sachets.

There's definitely something homey about sachets - tiny pretty parcels evoking olfactory memories.

Huh?

You know...how smells can help you remember an event, something or someone? The smell of warm chocolate chip cookies reminds me of baking with my mother. The smell of Butter Rum pipe tobacco reminds me of my grandfather. Cedar reminds me of home. If I need a pick-me-up I make cookies or sachets. (You didn't think I was going to say smoke a little Butter Rum, did ya? lol)

I've usually made cedar sachets out of scraps of fabric and lace, but when this challenge project came to mind I was thinking stamped, cute and paper-based. And isn't that adorable *skunk stamp just perfect?

So, without further ado, the supplies I used for this project (feel free to substitute with whatever you have on hand) :

Clean Filter (Can be used, just make sure to rinse well and dry flat. I used round, unbleached.)
Great Impressions Stamps: *Skunk (E751), Lacey Border (H225), Friends (E748)
Range Archival Ink: Jet Black
Tim Holtz Perfect Pearl Mist: Pearl
Copics: RV21, FV2, FYG2
Signo White Gel Pen
12-16" Ribbon

Aromatic Filler: cotton balls scented with spray, cedar shavings, dried herbs, etc.

Sewing machine & thread

Here are the simple details:

1. Spritz filters with water and let dry flat. (Or if you don't want to wait - dry 'em with a heat gun.)

filters: (l-r) Dried, Wet, Out of the Package

 2. Fold the filter into quarters (fold it in half, then half again.) Trim into a square/rectangle. (No need to be precise. I just snipped the first one. Here I've written approximate measurements.)

3. Cut the rectangle in half. Using the Archival Ink, stamp your images for the front and the back. Mist both pieces with Pearl to give a little shimmer. Color with Copics and use the Signo for white details. (I mostly dabbed on my color, waited till it finished wicking and then dabbed on more color as needed.)

4. Fold the top of both the front and back pieces to the inside about 1/2". Place ribbon between (wrong sides together) and sew across. Then sew each side. Fill and then sew closed.

5. Tie the sachet over the closet rod, a hanger or the review mirror. Enjoy your lovely bit of aromatherapy!

back of sachet ("Friends are the flowers that bloom in life's garden.")

Thanks for spending a part of your day with me. See you soon!

Inky hugs,

Angi

(The Skunk stamp is one of Great Impressions' Stamp of the Month stamps. It's only available from participating retailers until April. To order your own Skunk click HERE.)

Great Impressions DT - Blowin' Bubbles - Z Fold Card

Where does the week go? For that matter where does my day go?! Spent most of the last evening helping my son finish up his science fair project...the whole time I was thinking about the card that I wanted to create for this week's Design Team post for Great Impressions Stamps! So, once again, I'm up in the wee hours of the morning posting...Here's a peek of the card...(for more inspiration visit the Great Impressions Stamps' blog...)

I've followed Moxie Fab World's Tuesday Triggers for ages, but had never participated, but after seeing this picture...

Click the link above to play along!

I decided it was time to play! I'm not much of a pink girl and I had been wanting to use red, black and white (there are little pink flowers along the panels!) for one last Valentine's Day card. I love cupcake wrappers...how can you not? They're ruffley, cute and the best part is they are usually wrapped around something delectable!

Z Fold cards hold surprises, too. And my card is 'wrapped' with something ruffley, too...the doily border! As for the sprinkles, my card has glitter and embossing powder and dots...yummy!

I used three Great Impressions stamps and with a little masking I created a simple scene to travel the length of this Z Fold card.

Masking is simple and helps to combine stamps and make more complicated designs. You simply start with the image you want in the foreground. I'm using Mouse with Bubble Hearts. Stamp it on your project and then stamp it on something thin like a Post-It note. I like the Post-It notes because I always have them around and they're sticky, but repositionable, so they won't move when I stamp.

After you've stamped on the Post-It, trim the areas that you need to stamp over. Place the trimmed image over your project image. Now ink up the next stamp - in this case the Meadow Border. Stamp over (and across) the mask. Peel off the mask and finish up your project!

I used Copics to color the mouse and the flowers, chalk for the grass and Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Tumbled Glass for the sky.

And the black with white dots? That's Smash tape. Love that stuff! Tape, I mean. Washi, masking, paper, tissue, cloth...I've been hoarding collecting it and am now pulling it out to play with. There's something freeing about tearing it off the roll and slapping it down!

Alright...I better get to today's stuff. Have a great day & make something fun!

Inky hugs,
Angi

Stamps: Great Impressions Mouse with Bubble Hearts (G46), Valentine (E330), Meadow Border (F496)
Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black, Versamark Watermark, Tim Holtz Distress Ink Tumbled Glass
Tools: heat gun, Martha Stewart Doily Lace Punch, Scor-Pal
Other: Smash tape, Copics, clear embossing powder, glitter, chalks, American Craft Zing Wave

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:

iCopic Weekly Challenge: Hearts
Dutch Dare Card Challenges: Red, Pink & White
Pixie Cottage Challenge #107: Red

WOYWW #11 (100) - The Aftermath

On the desk there are remnants of April's card exchange at work, leftovers from my card class 2 weeks ago, bits and pieces of my planner pages, parts for my upcoming class at Simple Pleasures... There is quite a lot of creative herstory (yes, I know I spelled 'her' story...well, it is what it is, right?) over my desks and tables.

It has been a crazy couple of weeks. Really month. Lots of deadlines. Kids, work, school...most of my creative time has been scheduled, late at night with very little time for clean up in between.

I'm barely making WOYWW tonight. I'm just determined to stay on track here and make it to the 104th edition: 2nd Anniversary! So looking forward to participating in the PIF... (click HERE to see What's On Your Work desk Wednesday is about and leave Julia a 'hello!' when you do!) And, of course, continuing as long as Julia does.

Last week I was able to post, but never got around to commenting or even replying to the comments on my post! Remedying that this evening and tomorrow evening. (Thank you, if you commented last week...I didn't forget and appreciated you taking the time to let me know you stopped by! See you soon...)

I better get back to those chores...the laundry mountain needs tending to (it's clean - thank Goodness!) but wanted to share a little bit of fun (don't want you to think my life has been one drudgery after another...) Here's one of the cards - it's a shaped easel card. It's only a little over 4" in diameter.

She's a little reminder that sometimes things are not what they seem...hoping for brighter (and warmer!) days.

Inky hugs,

Angi

Challenges:
Magnolia Stamp Lovers Challenge (Flowers)